Talking with an elected official about how to get climate change legislation with teeth on the books conjures up the quote from Otto von Bismarck: "Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made."

That’s how I felt, anyway, after getting off the phone following a conference call between Sen. John Kerry (D, MA) and environmental bloggers today. Kerry demonstrates a full and deep understanding of the challenges posed by global warming, but also makes it clear — without actually having to say it — how slowly and painstakingly the legislative process moves to address those challenges.

Kerry expressed confidence in the prospects of the current Lieberman-Warner proposal for a cap-and-trade system on carbon emissions. He indicated cautious optimism that the next administration will enable law-makers to enact even stronger measures aimed at curbing climate change. He placed a lot of hope on the abilities of science, technology and business to develop solutions to challenges such as developing carbon capture and storage so we can burn coal cleanly.

Kerry also noted he and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D, CA) will be taking a delegation to Bali next month — for talks to hammer out a successor to the Kyoto Protocol — "to make sure the U.S. is properly represented. We’re not going to let the stonewalling of this administration dominate." And he urged us to put steady, ongoing pressure on other legislators, especially moderates and those in states likely to feel the greatest impact of climate change, to make the right decisions.

It’s encouraging we’re taking steps toward addressing climate change. It’s also good to see we’re taking more and more of those steps each day, and speeding up our stride little by little. But still I’m left with a lingering concern that, despite all the well-informed and properly motivated leaders like Kerry, the gears of government are grinding too slowly to make meaningful action possible in the immediate future.

Kerry is more optimistic, and I hope he proves my fears unfounded.

"I think basically we’re on the brink of a very exciting era," he said. "We’re going to get some of these projects (such as carbon capture and storage) rolling. There are some very exciting concepts out there."